Iconic Warzone SMG outguns HRM-9 to dominate close-range fights

A fan-favorite Warzone SMG was handed a buff at the start of Season 3 and it’s now more than capable of outgunning the HRM-9, which has dominated close-range gunfights for weeks.

The HRM-9 has taken over the close-range meta in Warzone during Season 3, with the vast majority of players running it alongside their Sniper Rifles or LMGs. However, after all of the MW2 guns got a buff in the last major update, there is a new contender that has the potential to overtake it.

Fans will remember the MP7 as a powerful SMG from the original Warzone, which later returned as the VEL 46 in the Al Mazrah days. It was also a popular pick during the MW2 era and it’s a meta option once again.

In my experience, the VEL 46 can kill quicker than the HRM-9 thanks to its superior fire rate, meaning it unloads its mag faster than its rival and burns through an enemy’s armor and health with ease.

The main drawback is that the HRM comes with slightly less recoil, but meta attachments like the DR-6 Handstop and Zehmn35 Copensated Flash Hider can help this and make the MP7 extremely easy to use, as explained in our best VEL 46 loadout. It also lacks in the damage range department, but in close-quarters combat the SMG really shines.

Whenever I was drawn into a close-quarters gunfight against a player running the HRM-9 that would normally spell a trip to the Gulag, the MP7’s fire rate allowed me to get the better of them just in time.

Popular CoD streamer FaZe Swagg has also been singing the praises of the VEL 46. In a recent YouTube video titled “Goodbye HRM, Hello MP7” he called the SMG “crazy” and mentioned that he “couldn’t believe how good” it was.

After the buff in Season 3 made MW2 guns viable once again, we’re finally starting to see more and more of the old weaponry creep into the meta. So, if you’re looking for a new partner for your Bruen Mk9 or TAQ Eradicator, give the VEL 46 a try.